New cyber virus hits Middle Eastern computers

Kaspersky Labs experts believe Gauss virus was designed by the same people who developed Flame, Duqu, and Stuxnet

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Ilan Ben Zion
Ilan Ben Zion is a news editor at The Times of Israel. He holds a Masters degree in Diplomacy from
… [More]Tel Aviv University and an Honors Bachelors degree from the University of Toronto in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, Jewish Studies, and English. [Less]

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Gauss has been found extensively in Lebanon, Israel, and Palestinian computers, according to Kaspersky Labs experts, who estimate that the virus was designed to jump from country to country.

Gauss infiltrates Windows computer systems and hacks into the users’ banking, email and social-networking data. Based on timestamp data retrieved from the virus, Kaspersky Labs said it was likely created in August or September 2011.

Kaspersky Labs also said that it can penetrate infrastructure system software and was designed in the same lab as its predecessors Flame, Duqu, and Stuxnet.